| Author | Subject: Time Machine |
| William Feehan | Posted At 20:14:11 03/26/2002
I was 11 years old when I first seen the 1962 classic Time machine. Like most 11 year olds I sat in the front row to to be overwhelmed by the images. From that day on I fell in love with the concept of time travel. I fell in love with the machine and I fell in love with Weena. For a long time I avoided those cast iron manhole covers you see on the city roads. One day I discovered a manhole with its cover removed. I found the courage to look down. I could see the rungs of the ladder descending into the blackness of the hole. My imagination got the best of me. I could hear the sound of the Morlock's machines throbbing. Suddenly I saw a pair of glowing eyes glaring up at me and I jumped backwards into the arms of a construction worker. I ran all the way home. Having seen the remake of the Time Machine I was disappointed. The new machine has no character, no exquisite craftmanship. There is no gradual introduction, in a teasing manner, to the machine. It's just revealed and off he goes. Currently I am building a 1/4 scale model of the Time Machine. Always on my mind is how to fashion the various parts. The dish,dish support and engine housing is almost complete. |
| Francois Beaulieu |
Re: Time Machine (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 22:51:30 03/26/2002 It's amazing how so many of us have shared the same experience you describe at a very young age. In my case, I was eleven also. Unfortunately, I saw it on a small black & white TV, back in 1965. But the impact was just as strong. Then, at age thirteen, I saw it for the first time in colour and on a large screen - in school !!! I still remember the experience vividly. It had a life-long impact ! Your description of how the fantasy of the novel altered your perception of manholes is also quite fascinating. In fact, one could say you perceived Wells's message - since the Morlocks in the original story were the descendants of underground labourers. Your project of a 1/4 scale model of the Machine sounds interesting. I hope you will show it to us when it is completed. You could submit pictures to Mr. Coleman for posting on the Enthusiasts Pages. Your comments on the new movie echo the feelings of many of the fans of the original 1895 novel and of the George Pal 1960 adaptation. |
| Bruce Holroyd |
Re: Time Machine (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 07:13:32 03/28/2002 Great memories William! I have actually been down one of those open manholes in my local neighborhood streets! Your recollections brought it all back into my mind! When I was a kid, I used to investigate the mysteries of those underground pipes that are large enough to walk through...you know the type? Never found any Morlocks, but then, I was a kid.... I do not believe that I would have wanted to meet anything in those subterranenan paasageways! And visiting any big cavern has always invoked feelings I got when I first beheld the magic of "The Time Machine"!!! Your writings bring back the fondness of childhood in a warm way.... THANKS! |